Rift in Idaho GOP exposed amid multistate water rule lawsuit
Some top Idaho officials are raising alarms after the state's Republican attorney general declined to join a 24-state lawsuit against Biden administration waterway protections
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Some top officials in Idaho are raising alarms over the Republican attorney general’s decision not to join a 24-state lawsuit against Biden administration waterway protections that opponents say could impact public and private land across the state.
Instead, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador’s office says the state will soon be joining another lawsuit filed in Texas, contending it’s a better fit for the state’s interests.
Emails obtained via a public records request hint at a potentially deep rift between Idaho's attorney general and other state GOP leaders, including the governor.
Labrador's decision surprised some officials. In January, Idaho Gov. Brad Little led the multistate coalition of Republican governors — from Virginia to Alaska — urging the president not to implement the new federal water rules until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling on the matter.
